As I see more and more pathetic sympathy based discussion on which is "the one"... You can't really decide ! In my opinion simulators are still a bit too different these days. The problem is to consider if the simulation is well enough executed for title to be fair to be named a simulator, and that is very important in order for the right ways of thinking to dominate. First of all, simracing is a science and when you decide things you have to be at least trying to be exact and logical, pay attention to parameters and variables which makes things to happen the way they does. My answer to which sim is the most exact is that they are all spot on ! But they are also all off. The difference between them is how many things are spot on, and by how much some stuff is off. No doubt even simcades are spot on on something, but that could be numerous times lower percentage of things than in a title which can be considered as a full sim. We can not tell which sim is most realistic, untill there is created a whole system to judge that ! It should be clearly reglamented and as much scientifically based as possible. However, some stuff will probably lay down to be empirical forever, I don't know how those things could be properly judged, so everyone would agree. As for tires Well that is incredibly complex device, something like fifty different parameters are constantly changing, if not more. Also different tires can be very different. Tires on different tracks can be very different. Tires for different cars can be very different. Tires for different setups can be very different. Tires for different surfaces can be very different...temperatures....drivers.....pressures.... I think it is not wrong to assume that tires just simply can be very different in different sims and still be considered as realistic. One sim can possibly be using one manufacturer, and other might use different manufacturer and be kool with being different. There still should be some kinds of windows in which parameters would be considered as being realistic enough. The one thing which goes hand in hand with the tire is surface. I feel like simracing titles have it too simplified, though I don't have very great knowledge on it right on. As for tarmac, I think, in order to have correct simulation for tires there should be a detailed simulation for surface too. Physics engine should work out the grip levels, and how surfaces effect tire life, heating and so... by using parameters which should define tarmac roughness for mechanical keying, chemical properties for adhesion, it's additional features on top of it... the tarmac has a tread too which is in team work with tire tread ! Obiously thats one step above laserscanning of circuits, but I am positive that there should be a technology which should be precise enough to map roughness, there should be a massive difference for drive if bedrock depth interval is 1-2mm, and if it is 5-10 mm, especially when wet. Chemical properities should be easy to define visually and studying the types. So when you experience different handling between sims, consider that it could possibly be simulating a tires with different compounds, different carcasses, they could be simulating different tarmac surface as default... Obviously they still should be very similar in terms of essentials. But god is in the details. Imagine if we could put on whatever tire, on whatever car in Assetto Corsa ! For example Lotus 25 tire on BMW M4
